The Backline Comedy Theatre

09/04/2026

We want to give a huge THANK YOU to all of our fans and supporters who have continued coming to shows and taking classes despite all the streetcar construction, and another huge THANK YOU to Streetcar Impact Alliance, Nebraska Enterprise Fund, and Clark Ross at Mercury who helped secure private funding to help local businesses make it through all of this. (And so no tax dollars were used!)

We’ve been luckier than many of our neighbors and other businesses along the route that have seen sales drop by more than 50%, but when you’re a small business (or a small comedy theater) even a much smaller drop can still have a huge impact.

We’re already putting some of these funds to work- We’re remodeling our lobby and hopefully storefront, ordering new merch, and currently hiring more help so we can keep improving The Backline and building toward the future.

This weekend, our neighborhood is coming together for a block party! Rally on the Route takes over 16th Street from 2-8pm on Saturday, with standup comedy, the Omaha Symphony, a DJ, booths from neighborhood businesses and ourselves, food and drinks, and special permits allowing people to take their drinks into the street, all while supporting great local businesses like Mercury, Green Room, Block 16, MoMo’s Cattle Call, Cumbia, and more.

Then the Omaha Comedy Fest will keep that idea going at the end of September, turning these businesses throughout the neighborhood into pop-up comedy venues and bringing audiences through their doors.

If you love this area (which we’ve lately been calling Omaha’s unofficial Performing Arts District) we’d love to see you come out and support these events and the locally owned businesses that make this great neighborhood what it is.

Because when the streetcar is finally running, we want all these businesses to still be here to enjoy it.

And at The Backline, our goal isn’t just to make it through construction barely holding on. We hope to come out of it stronger than ever, with a truly impressive home for comedy that all of Omaha is excited to visit.

Thank you for helping us get there, and we hope to see you this weekend! Let's have all the fun we can!

09/02/2026

We're proud to run the Comedy Porch again for this awesome festival in October! Porchfest OMA is something everyone in Omaha should get out to and experience for themselves! Hope to see you there!

🔥 HOT OFF THE PRESSES! 🔥
Here is the schedule for the 10th Annual Porchfest OMA on Sunday, October 4th! Open mic signup, youth and dance performers, comedy and poetry lineups, and art porch details soon!
Just make a plan to be here 😁
Complete details at porchfestoma.com

09/02/2026

Pics from the latest 4-Dimensional Improv show that features 4 great improv teams every month! In order are Biscuits (who you can see next in the Omaha Comedy Fest ) / The Team With No Name / Human [REDACTED] (who start their monthly show tomorrow) / and Number 4, My Lord!

09/02/2026

We're finally remodeling our lobby- keep your eye out for the new lobby we think our guests are going to fall in love with! When we did our complete overhaul a few years ago, we raised enough money to do everything but our lobby, so it sat there with a ragtag mix of old furniture left over and we intended to slowly build it up and just weren't able.

We'll post more soon about all the upgrades we're making but wanted to shine a little light on it getting started. Join us tonight for your favorite open mic to get a first glance at some of the changes.

09/01/2026

We'll be rocking with our neighbors for the Block Party this Saturday from 2-8pm! Both Backline and Omaha Comedy Fest will be representing at our own tent! We'll have standups performing for the block from 5-6pm, plus handing out stickers, flyers, and other fun stuff, and selling some of our new t-shirts! Come say hi, get a drink from many of our neighborhood bars like Mercury Omaha (who has done so much work saving this neighborhood through the struggles of streetcar construction) and then stick around for comedy shows at The Backline at 7, 8, and 9:30pm!

We call our area the Unofficial Performing Arts District and proud to be a part of the best nightlife neighborhood in Omaha!

08/28/2026

Congratulations to The Improviseers for snagging a 4th win in The Arena! Starting next Friday, The Arena is back every Friday at 7pm! Check this magical and mystical improv duo go up against Musical Cuck Chairs next week!

08/27/2026

The Improviseers have been on a hot streak in the Arena as they go for their 4th consecutive win tonight against The Team W/ No Name! This is also the final Arena on Thursday nights before it moves back to weekly Fridays at 7pm starting next week!

Can they win another? Will they get to 7 wins and make it onto the wall? Will they eventually beat the record of 16 wins? We'll find out tonight if they are one step closer!

08/27/2026

We are thrilled to have Connor Ratliff at The Backline Comedy Theatre on Oct 24th performing his one-man show "The Acting Class" and then teaching an improv workshop on Oct 25th! Not only has he been in great shows like the newly released Widow's Bay but also Bob's Burgers, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ghosts, Don't Think Twice, and many more movies and tv shows, and also a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade NY where he has often performed in shows like ASSSSCAT!

Do not miss this great opportunity and be sure to sign up before this is all sold out! (And he's even doing an extra show where anyone can get a chance to perform with him!)

Tickets available now- See you there!

08/25/2026

Their very first improv show was great! So proud of the whole class and first-time Intro to Improv teacher Allison Westerdale - Everyone is always nervous until the show is done and goes so well they want to get right back up there in front of a big crowd again! We have new Intro classes starting soon!